Harry G. Kipke
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Harry G. Kipke (March 26, 1899 - Sept. 14, 1972) was the head football coach at the University of Michigan from 1929-1937. During that span, his teams compiled a 46-26-4 record, won four conference titles, and captured two national championships in 1932 and 1933. He is one of only three coaches in school history to direct teams to four consecutive conference championships. The others were Fielding Yost, and Bo Schembechler.
Born in Lansing, Michigan, Kipke attended the University of Michigan. He is one of the few individuals in University of Michigan to have been a letterman nine times, doing so in football, basketball, and baseball. Kipke played for the football team under head coach Fielding Yost, and played at both halfback and punter. He was named an All American in 1922 and is regarded as one of the school’s all time greats as a punter, kicking the ball with amazing accuracy. His ability to punt out of bounds near the opposition's goal line helped Michigan to a 19-1-2 record from 1921 through 1923. Kipke was also the captain of the 1923 Wolverines National Championship team that went 8-0.
After serving as an assistant coach at the University of Missouri for four years, Kipke wa named the head football coach at Michigan State University in 1928. Michigan State had a 3-4-1 record in 1928. The following year, Kipke was hired to take over as head football coach for the University of Michigan Wolverines.
In his first year as head coach, the Wolverines struggled, finishing in an 8th place tie in 1929, with a 5-3-1 record. But Kipke quickly turned things around, leading the Wolverines to four straight conference championships and two National Championships between 1930 and 1933.
The 1932 and 1933 National Championships did not lose any games, and featured All Americans Harry Newman, Charles T. Bernard, Ted Petoskey, and Francis Wistert.
Kipke called his system "a punt, a pass, and a prayer" in a 1933 article for the Saturday Evening Post. He also reportedly coined the phrase, "A great defense is a great offense." [1]
In 1934, Kipke’s Wolverines went from National Champions to a 10th place finish in the conference with a 1-7 record. The one bright spot in the Wolverines 1934 season was the play of the team’s Most Valuable Player, center Gerald Ford. Ford lacked the money to attend the university, and Kipke’s assistance helped him to do so. The principal of Ford’s high school wrote to Kipke and invited him to Grand Rapids to meet Ford. Kipke accepted the invitation and met with Ford and his family. Though there were no football scholarships, Kipke helped Ford find a job at the University hospital waiting on tables to earn his meals. Ford later called the opportunity to go to U of M “the luckiest break I ever had.” [2] [3] In a 1975 speech, Ford recalled losing to seven out of eight games in 1934, including a 34-0 loss to Ohio State. Ford joke that “what really hurt me the most was when my teammates voted me their most valuable player. I didn't know whether to smile or sue.” [4]
Between 1934 and 1937, Kipke’s team accumulated a 12-22 record. Kipke resigned after the 1937 season and was replaced by Fritz Crisler. Before resigning, Kipke recruited Tom Harmon to play at Michigan. When Kipke was let go, Kipke advised Harmon to stay with Michigan.
In addition to being the Wolverines’ football coach, Kipke was a member of the University’s Board of Regents. He is also a member of the National Football Hall of Fame and the Michigan Hall of Fame. In 1942, Kipke joined the U.S. Navy and later became President of the Coca Cola Company of Chicago. [5]
[edit] Football head coaching records
| Year | Team | Overall | Conference | Standing | Bowl | AP# | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan (Big Ten Conference) (1929 – 1937) | |||||||||
| 1929 | Michigan | 5-3-1 | 1-3-1 | 8th (tie) | n0 | ||||
| 1930 | Michigan | 8-0-1 | 5-0 | 1st (tie) | |||||
| 1931 | Michigan | 8-1-1 | 5-1 | 1st (tie) | |||||
| 1932 | Michigan | 8-0 | 6-0 | 1st (tie) | |||||
| 1933 | Michigan | 7-0-1 | 5-0-1 | 1st (tie) | |||||
| 1934 | Michigan | 1-7 | 0-6 | 10th | |||||
| 1935 | Michigan | 4-4 | 2-3 | 5th (tie) | |||||
| 1936 | Michigan | 1-7 | 0-5 | 8th (tie) | |||||
| 1937 | Michigan | 4-4 | 3-3 | 4th (tie) | |||||
| Total: | 46-26-4 | ||||||||
| National Championship Conference Title Conference Division Title | |||||||||
| #Rankings from final AP of the season. | |||||||||
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
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